Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang? How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:11:46 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang? How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!
Bubba

Well, if I had a clue, why would I be asking in USENET?

Is 15 years about how long these things last? I was hoping there was some
'corrosion buildup' or something simple that I could correct...

I will call a plumber first thing tomorrow, thanks...




"Bubba" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:11:46 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!
Bubba

SJP wrote:
Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take
a shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a
bang? How do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve

There are several possibilities. My first guess is the dip tube is
gone. That is the right age to have the famous dip tube problem.

There are a number of other possibilities as well however and I would
guess you are not really ready to do the testing.

Ask around your neighbors. See how long their water heaters tend to
last. Local water conditions make a very big difference in how long those
heaters last. I suspect you are close enough to the end of its life that
you should not bother trying to have someone fix it when replacing it is not
going to be that much more.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

I dont know. Why? :-)
How long? Varies widely. I had one in my own home that lasted 7 yrs.
Some last 10. Others over 12 and 15. Others Ive seen are making 25 yrs
but that is very rare. Many condo's send out letters after 8 yrs
requesting that the owners replace their working water heater to avoid
it from bursting and causing a mess.
Bottom line is, at 15 yrs, youve used all of its life. Do yourself a
favor and replace it now, while you can do it at a convienent schedule
for you instead of Sat night or some holiday when you get the overtime
charge. Make sure you have your water pressure checked at the same
time. If it is too high, get a pressure regulator installed on your
incoming water line to your home. You'll want to have it adjusted to
somewhere between 50 to 75psi. Part of that is your own preference in
how much and how hard you want the water to hit you in the shower. It
saves water and extends the life of your "water appliances". You'll
also want to have an expansion tank installed on your water heater.
Now, you're all set.
Bubba

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:32:51 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Well, if I had a clue, why would I be asking in USENET?

Is 15 years about how long these things last? I was hoping there was some
'corrosion buildup' or something simple that I could correct...

I will call a plumber first thing tomorrow, thanks...




"Bubba" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:11:46 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!
Bubba

Thanks again... I'm going to call first thing tomorrow. Would you
recommend Home Depot installation services? Or should I just pick a plumber
out of the book?

Home Depot installs these GE Smar****er heaters...




"Bubba" wrote in message
...
I dont know. Why? :-)
How long? Varies widely. I had one in my own home that lasted 7 yrs.
Some last 10. Others over 12 and 15. Others Ive seen are making 25 yrs
but that is very rare. Many condo's send out letters after 8 yrs
requesting that the owners replace their working water heater to avoid
it from bursting and causing a mess.
Bottom line is, at 15 yrs, youve used all of its life. Do yourself a
favor and replace it now, while you can do it at a convienent schedule
for you instead of Sat night or some holiday when you get the overtime
charge. Make sure you have your water pressure checked at the same
time. If it is too high, get a pressure regulator installed on your
incoming water line to your home. You'll want to have it adjusted to
somewhere between 50 to 75psi. Part of that is your own preference in
how much and how hard you want the water to hit you in the shower. It
saves water and extends the life of your "water appliances". You'll
also want to have an expansion tank installed on your water heater.
Now, you're all set.
Bubba

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:32:51 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Well, if I had a clue, why would I be asking in USENET?

Is 15 years about how long these things last? I was hoping there was some
'corrosion buildup' or something simple that I could correct...

I will call a plumber first thing tomorrow, thanks...




"Bubba" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:11:46 -0500, "SJP" wrote:

Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!
Bubba

"SJP" wrote in message
...
Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve



Have you been draining out the sediment regularly?....It could be that you
are trying to heat water through a "big layer of sludge"...Hook a hose up to
the drain valve and run it outside...see what comes out...who knows...you
might get a few more years out of it....If you see any rust....get rid of it
before it floods your home....good luck, Ross

SJP wrote:
Thanks again... I'm going to call first thing tomorrow. Would you
recommend Home Depot installation services? Or should I just pick a plumber
out of the book?

Home Depot installs these GE Smar****er heaters...




"Bubba" wrote in message
...

I dont know. Why? :-)
How long? Varies widely. I had one in my own home that lasted 7 yrs.
Some last 10. Others over 12 and 15. Others Ive seen are making 25 yrs
but that is very rare. Many condo's send out letters after 8 yrs
requesting that the owners replace their working water heater to avoid
it from bursting and causing a mess.
Bottom line is, at 15 yrs, youve used all of its life. Do yourself a
favor and replace it now, while you can do it at a convienent schedule
for you instead of Sat night or some holiday when you get the overtime
charge. Make sure you have your water pressure checked at the same
time. If it is too high, get a pressure regulator installed on your
incoming water line to your home. You'll want to have it adjusted to
somewhere between 50 to 75psi. Part of that is your own preference in
how much and how hard you want the water to hit you in the shower. It
saves water and extends the life of your "water appliances". You'll
also want to have an expansion tank installed on your water heater.
Now, you're all set.
Bubba

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:32:51 -0500, "SJP" wrote:


Well, if I had a clue, why would I be asking in USENET?

Is 15 years about how long these things last? I was hoping there was some
'corrosion buildup' or something simple that I could correct...

I will call a plumber first thing tomorrow, thanks...




"Bubba" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:11:46 -0500, "SJP" wrote:


Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen
whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation
date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How
do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve



Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!
Bubba



Why don't you ask neighbors or friends who they use? The
best bet is to call several places and tell them to give you
a bid. But be sure you they all compare installation of the
same size and quality of heater. I would bypass the Smart
Water heater and get the cheaper (I think the Smart system
costs $60 bucks more). Anyway, you probably have a 40 or 50
gallon heater so tell all the bidders which one you want and
then tell them what efficiency. I wouldn't buy a water
heater that doesn't have a pilot light (because the higher
efficiency ones can be noisy and the pilot really costs very
little in operation)(Also, if you have the electricity go
out DO NOT get the higher efficiency heater which requires
electricity to fire.

If you don't really understand the above, or are a little
confused, go to HD and talk to a salesman about different
water heaters and cost (BUT, do not buy at that time, still
get bids).

On guarantees, the longer guaranteed heaters will cost more,
but they may not be made any differently (or significantly
differently), so the extra cost is just for the guarantee.

Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!

I think you are being a bit harsh. These things are not rocket science;
sometimes the repairs are pretty simple, and with a little help he might
well be able to fix it himself.
I have fixed my dishwasher and clothes dryer myself with help I got here;
and if this were my water heater, I expect I could fix it if someone told me
what to look for. (I installed my own water heater 2 years ago, it just
isn't that difficult.)

Then again he might not be able to fix it himself; but you can give him the
benefit of the doubt. Or it is possible that the heater must replaced now
because the repair cannot be justified in a 15 yo heater.
Sadly, I do not know enough about water heaters to offer any help.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 06:48:32 GMT, "toller" wrote:


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!

I think you are being a bit harsh. These things are not rocket science;
sometimes the repairs are pretty simple, and with a little help he might
well be able to fix it himself.
I have fixed my dishwasher and clothes dryer myself with help I got here;
and if this were my water heater, I expect I could fix it if someone told me
what to look for. (I installed my own water heater 2 years ago, it just
isn't that difficult.)

Then again he might not be able to fix it himself; but you can give him the
benefit of the doubt. Or it is possible that the heater must replaced now
because the repair cannot be justified in a 15 yo heater.
Sadly, I do not know enough about water heaters to offer any help.


That funny. I dont remember asking you your opinion on whether Im
harsh. By your own admission, you say that sadly you dont know enough
about water heaters to offer any help. On top of that, you installed
your own water heater? You, my boy are a total idiot. Do yourself a
favor and have a plumber at least come over and check out your
installation so you dont kill yourself or your family.
His is 15 yrs old. Unless he can change a relief valve himself, he is
****ing away money. And, improperly installed he CAN blow that water
heater up.
And again, Id add, if you dont know what the hell you are talking
about, dont offer advice that may get someone hurt.
Bubba

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
SJP wrote:
Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take
a shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a
bang? How do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve

There are several possibilities. My first guess is the dip tube is
gone. That is the right age to have the famous dip tube problem.

There are a number of other possibilities as well however and I would
guess you are not really ready to do the testing.

Ask around your neighbors. See how long their water heaters tend to
last. Local water conditions make a very big difference in how long those
heaters last. I suspect you are close enough to the end of its life that
you should not bother trying to have someone fix it when replacing it is
not going to be that much more.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


In general, gas water heaters do not fade away. While they do accumulate
gunk on the bottom which makes it use a little more energy to heat the
water, you usually can keep your heater until it starts to leak (and just
hope that it starts as a little leak and not a catastrophic one. However,
as Joseph Meehan points out, in the late 80's, early 90's there was a
problem with the longevity of the plastic dip tube used in water heaters.
This is the tube that bring the incoming cold water directly to the bottom
of the heater. If the tube is broken, the replacement cold water comes in
near the top of the heater and mixes with the exiting hot water, causing
your problem. There is no reasonable way to replace the dip tube on a 15
year old heater, so it is probably time for a new one. Dip tubes are now
made with a different plastic so you are unlikely to experience this problem
in the future with a new heater. It will mostly likely eventually fail by
leaking.
--
Peace,
BobJ

hey bubba, why so rude all the time?
Trailer park life getting on your nerves?


"Bubba" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 06:48:32 GMT, "toller" wrote:


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!

I think you are being a bit harsh. These things are not rocket science;
sometimes the repairs are pretty simple, and with a little help he might
well be able to fix it himself.
I have fixed my dishwasher and clothes dryer myself with help I got here;
and if this were my water heater, I expect I could fix it if someone told
me
what to look for. (I installed my own water heater 2 years ago, it just
isn't that difficult.)

Then again he might not be able to fix it himself; but you can give him
the
benefit of the doubt. Or it is possible that the heater must replaced now
because the repair cannot be justified in a 15 yo heater.
Sadly, I do not know enough about water heaters to offer any help.


That funny. I dont remember asking you your opinion on whether Im
harsh. By your own admission, you say that sadly you dont know enough
about water heaters to offer any help. On top of that, you installed
your own water heater? You, my boy are a total idiot. Do yourself a
favor and have a plumber at least come over and check out your
installation so you dont kill yourself or your family.
His is 15 yrs old. Unless he can change a relief valve himself, he is
****ing away money. And, improperly installed he CAN blow that water
heater up.
And again, Id add, if you dont know what the hell you are talking
about, dont offer advice that may get someone hurt.
Bubba

Thank you, now I understand that you were harsh because you are a jerk.

"Marilyn & Bob" wrote in message
news:AJcDd.19600$113.9510@trndny03...

In general, gas water heaters do not fade away.

I disagree. Usually tank corrosion kills them


While they do accumulate
gunk on the bottom which makes it use a little more energy to heat the
water, you usually can keep your heater until it starts to leak (and just
hope that it starts as a little leak and not a catastrophic one.


Or you can be a little pro-active. If simple maintainance is done once in a
while, you can get 25 years out of the 5 year warrantee heater.


However,
as Joseph Meehan points out, in the late 80's, early 90's there was a
problem with the longevity of the plastic dip tube used in water heaters.
This is the tube that bring the incoming cold water directly to the bottom
of the heater. If the tube is broken, the replacement cold water comes in
near the top of the heater and mixes with the exiting hot water, causing
your problem. There is no reasonable way to replace the dip tube on a 15
year old heater, so it is probably time for a new one.


No way to replace a dip tube? They just slip in under the cold inlet.

Read about water heaters he

http://waterheaterrescue.com/

This site will explain all about sediment, dip tubes, anodes, etc.

I am not affiliated with these folks in any way, but there information is
top notch.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

"Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...
-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell... -The heater was
warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.
Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a bang?
How do I assess the situation?
Thanks
Steve"

Bear in mind that as the ground temperature becomes colder, so does the
incoming cold water to the house. This takes the water heater alot
longer to heat the water up to its desired setting. Further, if your
hwh is a 1990...you can figure after 15 years of usage, that, there is
alot of sediment in the bottom of the tank which is displacing water
thus making your water heater of lower water holding capacity (IE : a 37
gallon tank instead of a 40 when it was new). Due to its age, it has
reached the end of its life., and, you are wise in changing it out asap.

Because there are always turds like you that need to be flushed away.
Now get back down in that toilet where you belong, rider.
Bubba

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 15:59:41 GMT, "rider"
wrote:

hey bubba, why so rude all the time?
Trailer park life getting on your nerves?


"Bubba" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 06:48:32 GMT, "toller" wrote:


Open the yellow pages and pick up your phone with your other hand. You
obviously dont have a clue, your water heater is 15 yrs old and you
dont need to hurt yourself or anyone else.
Call A Plumber,...........NOW!

I think you are being a bit harsh. These things are not rocket science;
sometimes the repairs are pretty simple, and with a little help he might
well be able to fix it himself.
I have fixed my dishwasher and clothes dryer myself with help I got here;
and if this were my water heater, I expect I could fix it if someone told
me
what to look for. (I installed my own water heater 2 years ago, it just
isn't that difficult.)

Then again he might not be able to fix it himself; but you can give him
the
benefit of the doubt. Or it is possible that the heater must replaced now
because the repair cannot be justified in a 15 yo heater.
Sadly, I do not know enough about water heaters to offer any help.


That funny. I dont remember asking you your opinion on whether Im
harsh. By your own admission, you say that sadly you dont know enough
about water heaters to offer any help. On top of that, you installed
your own water heater? You, my boy are a total idiot. Do yourself a
favor and have a plumber at least come over and check out your
installation so you dont kill yourself or your family.
His is 15 yrs old. Unless he can change a relief valve himself, he is
****ing away money. And, improperly installed he CAN blow that water
heater up.
And again, Id add, if you dont know what the hell you are talking
about, dont offer advice that may get someone hurt.
Bubba

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 17:57:38 GMT, "toller" wrote:

Thank you, now I understand that you were harsh because you are a jerk.

Oh my! ****ed that you didnt get the free answer that you wanted?
It must suck to be you.
Bubba

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...

"Marilyn & Bob" wrote in message
news:AJcDd.19600$113.9510@trndny03...

In general, gas water heaters do not fade away.

I disagree. Usually tank corrosion kills them

Reread the OP's message. What he meant by fade away is that it stops
heating water as well as it get older. This is only very marginally true.
The gradual corrosion you talk about does not show up until there is a leak
which is equivilant to water heater death.



While they do accumulate
gunk on the bottom which makes it use a little more energy to heat the
water, you usually can keep your heater until it starts to leak (and just
hope that it starts as a little leak and not a catastrophic one.


Or you can be a little pro-active. If simple maintainance is done once in
a
while, you can get 25 years out of the 5 year warrantee heater.

True, but it won't help after 15 years of non-maintenance.


However,
as Joseph Meehan points out, in the late 80's, early 90's there was a
problem with the longevity of the plastic dip tube used in water heaters.
This is the tube that bring the incoming cold water directly to the
bottom
of the heater. If the tube is broken, the replacement cold water comes
in
near the top of the heater and mixes with the exiting hot water, causing
your problem. There is no reasonable way to replace the dip tube on a 15
year old heater, so it is probably time for a new one.


No way to replace a dip tube? They just slip in under the cold inlet.



After 15 years, it makes no sense to replace the dip tube, even if it were
possible. The amount of corrosion at the connection to the cold inlet,
would make it very difficult to remove it non-destructively to put in a new
dip tube.
--
Peace,
BobJ




Read about water heaters he

http://waterheaterrescue.com/

This site will explain all about sediment, dip tubes, anodes, etc.

I am not affiliated with these folks in any way, but there information is
top notch.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube,
then
they come up with this striped stuff.

"SJP" wrote in message
...
Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take a
shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...


Why do you want to heat hot water?